Floor cleaning machine



Sept. 23, 1941.- G, OUNG FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE Filed June 28, 1940 George innooonuoceonoocO Patented Sept. 23, 1941 LIN-RTE D STATE 5% E GEE i E FLGOR. CLEANKNG MAGHINE George Young, Washington, D. 0.

Application June 28, 19410,. Serial N0; 343,045

' (01. 1s 2ao) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to floor surfacing or cleaning machines and more particularly to'an improved cleaning roller for use with floor cleaning machines.

An object of this invention is to provide in a floor cleaning machine an improved roller which is formed of steel wool and which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the floor so as to remove the finish from the floor without cutting into the floor proper.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a floor cleaning machine an improved cleaning roller which'is formed of an inner resilient cushioning element and an outer cleaning element, the cleaning element being in the form of a cylindrical body which is preferably formed of steel wool.

Another object of this invention is toprovide an improved floor cleaning roller and a means for discharging a finish removing liquid to the roller.

' A further object of this invention is to provide an improved floor cleaning roller for a floor cleaningv machine which is constructed of' an inner resilient element and an outer steel wool body, the cushioning element being formed" of radially arranged steel'bristles'which are adapted to engage in the interstices of the steel wool and which are adapted to properly support the wool concentrically to the axis of the steel brush formed by the steel bristles.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, modifications and variations may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a detail side elevation of a floor cleaning machines having a finish removing element constructed according to an embodiment of this invention mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectionof the cleaning roller.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral H3 designates generally a floor cleaning machine which comprises a platform ll having secured to the underside thereof a housing 52. The housing 12 is adapted to contain a suction fan for forming A..motor i8 is mounted on top of the platform I or frame member ll being secured thereto by fastening devices it. The motor I8 is connected to the fan structure positioned within the housing ll so that operation of the motor l8 will form a suction through the forwardly projecting suction nozzle 29 which is: carried by the forward side of the housing l2; At the present time in floor cleaning or scraping machines, it is the practice to provide a sanding roll forwardly ofthe suction housing 12, the sanding roll being operatively connected to the motor. However, with a sanding roll, the roll removes an appreciable portion of the floor H in addition toremoving; the finish from the iioor. With the-usual sanding machines, it is not possible to thoroughly clean the floors for a number of times as on every occasion the thickness of the floors are reduced thus making it necessary to replace the entire floor after several of the sanding operations.

In order, therefore, to provide a means whereby the upper surface 22 of the floor 2!: may be thoroughly cleaned without removing an appreciable amount of the floor, I have provided a rotatable-cleaning roll or element generally designated as '23. The cleaning roll 23 is mounted on a shaft 24 which is journalled in a pair of bearing members 25. The bearing members 25 are supported below the frame member or platform l2 by means of pairs of depending bolts or bearing guide members 26. The bolts or guide members 26 are extended through the bearings 25 and secured to the frame or platform 1 l. A spring 2? is positioned about each bolt or guide member 26 so as to cushion the bearings 25 beneath the frame or platform ll. Each bearing 25 comprises an upper bearing part 28 and a lower bearing part or cap 29 which is formed with ears 30 secured to the ears 3| carried by the upper bearing part 28 by means of bolts 32. The cleaning member or roller 23 comprises a core or hub member 33 which is 7 formed of a pair of twisted together wires 33 which have secured between the twisted portions or strands thereof tufts or bristles 34. Between the twisted portions of the wires interstices are provided and in these interstices are secured the inner ends of the tufts 34. The core 33 is spirally wound about the shaft 24 so as to dispose the bristles 34 in spiral form as shown in Figure 2. In order to provide an abrading element or surface cleaning means in association with the steel brush formed by the core 33 and the steel bristles 34, I have provided a porous metallic cylindrical cleaning element 35 which is positioned about and secured to the steel bristles 34. The cleaning element 35 comprises a cylindrical body which is preferably formed of steel wool and when the body 35 is disposed about the bristles 34, the bristles 34 will project into the body 35 so as to hold the body 35 against rotation relative to the bristles 34 and the core 33. The body 35 not only forms an abrading element or surface removing means which is of resilient construction but by mounting the resilient body 35 on the steel bristles 34, the bristles 34 will also form an additional cushioning means for the resilient flexible body 35.

A pulley 36 is secured to the shaft 24 at one end thereof and a flexible driving element or belt 31 is trained about the pulley 35 and also about a driving pulley 38 which is fixed to the motor shaft 39.

In order to provide a means whereby the cleaning member 23 may be kept moist with a cleaning liquid, I have provided a liquid reservoir 40 which is mounted on the frame member or platform H forwardly of the motor l8, being mounted on upstanding supports 4| which are secured by fastening devices 42 to the frame member or platform II. The reservoir 40 is provided with an intake or filler nipple 43 which may be closed by a cap 44. The reservoir 40 on the underside thereof is provided with an outlet duct or pipe 45 which is connected to a liquid distributing nozzle 46 in substantially the longitudinal center of the nozzle 45. The nozzle 46 is provided with a plurality of discharge openings 47 which confront the upper portion of the roller 23 so as to distribute the liquid from the reservoir 4!! evenly over the outer surface of the roller 23.

In the use and operation of this cleaning structure, the motor 8 is operated in the conventional manner and the roller 23 is positioned forwardly of the suction housing l2 so that the material removed by the roller 23 will be drawn into the housing l2 and then be discharged into the collector I6. The cylindrical cleaning element 35 will contact with the upper surface 22 of the floor 2| and due to the novel construction of this cleaning element 35, the finish on the upper surface of the floor 2| will be removed without digging or cutting into the floor 2|. The pressure applied to the roller 23 will cause the bristles 34 to flex and will also cause a flexing of the cylindrical cleaning member 35. In this manner when additional pressure is applied to the roller 23, the effect will not be to dig deeper into the surface of the floor as is the case with sanding machines and result in an uneven removal of the floor surface and an uneven removal of certain portions of the floor.

The additional pressure applied to the roller 23 will only cause the roller to act more quickly on the floor surface 22 but due to the flexible or resilient construction of the roller 23, the additional pressure applied to this roller will not cause any uneven removal of the floor finish on the floor proper. The roller 23 may be made as a new article of manufacture for use with floor cleaning machines at present in operation as this roller 23 may be substituted for the sanding roller at present in use. It will be understood that the cleaning machine including the suction member l2 and the motor l8 are conventional and are here only shown by way of illustration of one type of cleaning machine with which the cleaning roller hereinbefore described may be combined.

When the cleaning roller is removed, there may be substituted for the same, a polishing roll so that the same machine can be used both for cleaning the floor surface and for subsequently polishing the same, as with wax or the like.

The vacuum bag may in most instances be omitted and the opening thereto closed, except where the floor is dry cleaned and dust is apt to be raised.

What I claim is:

In a cleaning machine, a porous rotatable cylindrical cleaning member formed of a metallic wool, a pair of twisted together wires forming interstices therebetween and arranged in closely related substantially uniform spirals to provide a rotatable tubular core corresponding in length to said member, a combined coupling, cushioning and supporting means for said member corresponding in length to the core, interposed between the latter and the said member and formed of closely related substantially uniform spirals of closely arranged tufts of flexible metallic bristles anchored at their inner ends in the interstices of said core and having their outer ends engaging in the inner face of said member, and a rotatable shaft for and extending through said M core.

GEORGE YOUNG. 

